Saturday, December 10, 2011

National League MVP Ryan Braun, who last season led the Milwaukee Brewers to their first division title in nearly three decades, has tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug and faces a 50-game suspension if the initial finding is upheld, two sources familiar with the case told "Outside the Lines."

Major League Baseball has not announced the positive test because Braun is disputing the result through arbitration.

A spokesman for Braun issued a statement Saturday: "There are highly unusual circumstances surrounding this case which will support Ryan's complete innocence and demonstrate there was absolutely no intentional violation of the program. While Ryan has impeccable character and no previous history, unfortunately, because of the process we have to maintain confidentiality and are not able to discuss it any further, but we are confident he will ultimately be exonerated."

The 28-year-old Braun had to provide a urine sample for testing during the playoffs, and he was notified of the positive test sometime in late October -- about a month before he was named the National League's most valuable player.

The positive result was triggered by elevated levels of testosterone in Braun's system, the sources also told "Outside the Lines." A subsequent, more comprehensive test revealed the testosterone was synthetic -- not produced by Braun's body.

Holy smokes! This is serious stuff, but I can't help but think about the NL MVP award....

Agree in general re re-opening the scar of PEDs. But one person testing pos doesn't necessarily mean it's an epidemic. Hopefully it's localized and hopefully he in my fantasy world vacates the 2011 MVP so thT the real MVP Matt Kemp can reign.

If Braun used banned substance, then so be it and he deserves whatever punishment is coming to him.

However, on the root issue of "performance enhancing", a generation ago, dipping and pounding back Busch light in the dugout while chomping on a turkey leg was considered acceptable dugout practises. For those people, lifting weights and "proper" nutrition would be considered performance enhancing. I don't understand all the people working themselves up in a huff over _science_.

Because this science gives people an unfair advantage. All players work hard, but the next day your science helps you recover and go harder the next day. That my friend is an unfair competitive advantage.

That's exactly it, FV. Lot of former players and incl players who indulged in PEDs talked about PEDs not necessarily helping them hit a ball out of the Yard but helping them wake up not feeling sore and hurt and therefore able to take the field when otherwise they wouldn't be able to answer the bell.

I'm waiting for the appeal result before I throw around the cheater label. And I'm pretty sure Matt wouldn't want to win the MVP this way.

There are some things from the report that are curious though:

-He was given the test "during the playoffs." Exact time unclear.-He was informed of the result in "late October." Again unclear, but presumably after the Brewers were eliminated.-He took another test immediately after being told the first result. That was negative, but if that second test was issued after the Brewers were done for the year, it doesn't exactly prove anything either.